Common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.) interference in grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]: the influence of weed and crop density.

Background: The common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.) is an invasive weed species in the Asteraceae family that probably originated in Central or South America but has now spread worldwide, where it infests numerous crop fields, including sorghum. It is also a significant invasive weed in various parts of Ethiopia, including the eastern region.

The soil microbiome modulates the sorghum root metabolome and cellular traits with a concomitant reduction of Striga infection.

Sorghum bicolor is among the most important cereals globally and a staple crop for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 20% of sorghum yield is lost annually in Africa due to infestation with the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica. Existing Striga management strategies are not singularly effective and integrated approaches are needed.

Back to the roots: defining the core microbiome of Sorghum bicolor in agricultural field soils from the centre of origin.

Sorghum is a major staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa with yields severely impacted by biotic and abiotic factors. Here, we analysed the taxonomic diversity and biogeographical distribution of bacterial taxa of 48 agricultural fields along a transect of approximately 2000 km across the Ethiopian sorghum belt, the centre of origin of sorghum. The ultimate goal is to identify-yet-unexplored-beneficial plant-microbe associations.